Home
Nabil Bentaleb

Sherwood - Bentaleb is right for Pochettino's system

Nabil Bentaleb consulted Tim Sherwood as part of his choice of which country to play for, England, France or Algeria.

Sherwood - Bentaleb is right for Pochettino's system



He chose Algeria because he felt Algerian, his parents are Algerian. That's exactly as it should be. It's quite crazy that one Boateng brother plays for Ghana and the other plays for Germany, even though he claims to feel African.

These is far too much of this convenience nationality in Sport, the rules need to be clamped down on, the fact you marry someone from a different country is irrelevant, that doesn't change your nationality, nothing does.

Where you are born is irrelevant, your parents nationality is the only criteria that should be used. At the South African World Cup Germany had 3 Germans, the rest were foreigners playing for Germany. The France side has always it seems been full of Africans, not Frenchmen.

Bentaleb made the right decision playing for his country and not becoming a mercenary simply to give himself more chance of winning something. I'm glad one of Tim Sherwood's success stories is not playing for England and I look forward to watching him again in the next round. The Belgian game held no interest, it was Algeria to watch for me.

Recent Stories:
£8m Ben Davies bid - Rose v Davies comparison
Suárez, O'Hara, Caulker, Cambiasso, Lovren & Bentaleb
Confirmed - Spurs to keep Lamela
The significance of the West Ham wall fiasco
Tottenham agree new partnership 
Have Spurs done to Sigurdsson what Man United did to Rooney?
Tim Krul not replacing Hugo Lloris



After the French released him, Birmingham turned him down, it was Tim Sherwood who said I want to see him over a longer period than a trial. Right from the start Sherwood reveals that he had the winning mentality so lacking at Tottenham and that he'll be right for Mauricio Pochettino's system.

"He had hunger and desire in training. His work ethic was fantastic. From the development sides right into the first team he showed everyone the way. He was a skinny kid when he came to us but he backs himself all the time in tackles with bigger players. He really cares. When we went out the Europa League to Benfica, he was in tears in the dressing room afterwards.

"Nabil is not afraid of anyone. He is perfect for the way that Algeria play, with a pressing game. I tended to use him in a more defensive role, mainly because I knew I could trust him to do what I asked. But in his development at Spurs he has been a box-to-box midfielder and he has always scored goals in the junior age groups.

"He still needs to develop and is not the finished article yet but in the future he could be that kind of goalscoring midfielder.

"If Mauricio Pochettino is looking for that sort of player, then Nabil is perfect. He has to play regularly, though, if his development is to continue."

There shouldn't be too many Spurs fans who disagree with that assessment. The World Cup will help his development of course but he is a talent in the making we mustn't ruin.

There is nothing in what Sherwood says that surprises me about Nabil, anyone who watched him in that Benfica would know he was a fighter, a leader. He took charge that day, yelling at teammates like Townsend, barking orders and holding the midfield together in front of two centre-half novices.

That day he showed the qualities of a future Spurs captain, I hope he becomes the stalwart he has the potential to become and the Sherwood haters appreciate the good work he did at the club, instead of only looking at the supposed bad.


14 comments

  1. What a truly ridiculous start to your article regarding nationality. According to you, where you are born is irrelevant as to what determines who one should represent? And you say one's parents' 'nationality is the deciding factor? What utter stupidity. Please tell me who I should represent then according to your criteria. I was born in England so legally, my nationality is English/British...I would like to say that I also feel very much English. However, my mother is Chinese and was born in China, so we can safely say her nationality is Chinese. My father was born in Brazil, and very much identifies as a Brazilian, but his parents were Dutch and Chinese, so please tell me what nationality he is, because apparently, where he was born is irrelevant. Is he dutch or Chinese? So now this question extends to me. If the fact that I was born in England and AM English is irrelevant, can you tell me who I should be representing? According to the current rules, I would be eligible t…
    • British is a nationality but not a Race therefore unless anyone born from at least one English parent is not English. My parents dont have single drop of Englush blood but I was born in England. Im not English and never will be but I am as British as anyone. If United Kingdom of Great Britain have a combined team onecday playing in international arena then I should be eligible but England shirt belongs to the English by blood. Germany played Turkey two years ago with 7 Turks wearing German shirt. France had more Africans than African teams put together. If Fifa are serious about a nation other than those usual winners should lift the world cup then they must block non indigenous players play for a country.
    • And please tell me how you would define an indigenous Englander. Do they have to be white? I'm sure you are a well aware that the British isles were successfully invaded by the Romans, Normans and Vikings, as well as interbreeding with various Germanic tribes, so unless you can find me someone who's family bloodline traces back to the beginnings of time and has some how managed to stay 'pure' which would have meant some very selective and prolific inbreeding, then I think you will find it very hard to find someone to represent your idea of England. Of course, based upon Clive's theory, you could have someone who had 'English' parents, but was born and raised in the far reaches of Siberia who has never breathed the air of England, and doesn't speak the language, representing England instead of someone who was born in England, educated in England, only speaks English, is not eligible to live anywhere else but England, just because his parents are not '…
  2. Yes it should be totally irrelevant, you are the nationality of your parents, they are your blood, a country doesn't provide that. You can move and live in any country in the world that doesn't make you of that nationality. If parents have a child there is dtill no blood from that country in the child, they are the nationality of their parents and always will be.

    Convenience nationality should have no place in sport. Austrians should play for Austria, Poles should play for Poland, Africans should play for their African nation.

    What you have done is highlight how wrong the rules are and reinforced my point. If the rules were changed to blood only it would simply your situation and make your decision a lot easier.
    • And you conveniently fail to answer any of the questions I put to you that prove how flawed your reasoning is. Read my comment again and tell me what nationality I am using your logic. It's easy to say England for the English etc, but please tell me how you would define someone who is English.
    • So based upon your theory, the USA team should be entirely composed of Native American Indians, Australia can only use Aborigines, and even Brazil can only use Amazonian Indians, because all these nations' populations consist almost entirely of immigrants which would mean none of their decendants could ever be considered for those countries.
    • USA and Australia are exceptions. Neither have a historically hereditory race such as German or English. USA is like Great Britain. Anyone who is eligible for the CITIZENSHIP can play for them. Same goes to Australia. But just because Blatters country is the biggest benefactors alongside Germans and Belgians surprisingly two major forces within the Fifa, it doesn't make it right.
  3. My dad was born in SA. He came here in '72 and considers himself British..
  4. Sorry Clive, he hasn't highlighted how right you are, you've just completely ignored his points, failed to come up with any kind of argument towards your own views and painted yourself as a little englander...with a very high likelihood of having 'blood' from a Germanic tribe.
  5. So if I 'consider' myself a millionaire I can go down to the bank and draw out a million pounds!
  6. I am quite clear you are the nationality of your parents, not what your parents consider themselves to be or where they happen to be when you are born or where you decide to live. Nabil Bentaleb is Algerian and has made the right choice refusing England and France to play for the nation of his parents, just as he should.
  7. What kind of pathetic argument is that? So if someone has British as their nationality on their passport they're not just because 'you' say they're not?
  8. Germany played Turkey two years ago with 7 Turks wearing German shirt? Yeah, never let facts get in the way of a good argument eh? Have a go at naming them then. Ozil and Tasci (both of whom haven't claimed citizenship but are German nationals by birthright). Give me the other 5...should be a laugh.
  9. Oh dear Clive, and you still aren't able to come up with any valid counters to the points made against your reasoning. The only thing you can do is keep repeating yourself. I'm sorry to disappoint you but saying something repeatedly ad infinitum won't eventually make it come true.